Second Chances: A Christmas Tale

Chapter 1

Severus Snape was a bitter, cold man of sixty years. Upon returning from the war of long ago a victor, showered in rewards and praise, he'd promptly quit his job at Hogwarts and opened up a small apothecary shop in Hogsmeade. He tried his best to never show any outward signs of happiness-not a difficult feat for him-and had taken to hoarding his newly-found fortune in a vault at Gringotts, for which it could be said that once a single knut of his entered the doors, it never saw the light of day again.

The apothecary shop was a small, cramped place, with shelves of dried ingredients, bottles of pickled things, and vials of coloured liquids. It was a dark, dismal place, not at all conducive to brightening one's attitude towards life and all it had to offer. The shop seemed to have the ability to drain energy from a person when he entered through the door. Upon leaving, he would find his energy returned, as it had been minutes previously. Because of this, people never tended to stay in the shop for any longer than was absolutely necessary, which was just as Snape preferred it.

Snape had one employee he kept for his knowledge of herb lore, as well as his ability to deflect the customers from him. Neville Longbottom, a former pupil, spent long days in the shop, where he was subject to the continual torment and abuse of his employer. Neville was used to such torment from him, though, and didn't take too much notice of it.

What Neville couldn't help taking notice, of, was how cold the shop was in the winter months. Snape said that the quality of his inventory would deteriorate in the heat, and wouldn't allow him to light a fire to stay warm. Because of this, Neville's teeth would chatter loudly, and he would rub his hands together to warm himself up. This is exactly what he was doing when this story begins...

It was December the twenty-fourth, otherwise commonly known as Christmas Eve Day, and it was business as usual at Snape's apothecary shop. No signs of the holiday could be seen inside, except for a few sprigs of mistletoe that were being prepared for use in a potion.

All around Hogsmeade, storefronts were decked out with jolly-looking decorations, like holly wreaths, twinkling stars, heavily decorated trees, and large floating crystal baubles. Blythe's Toy Shoppe featured a life-sized ballerina dancing with an equally large nutcracker. Chess sets battled against one another in the frosted window front. Walking and talking dolls brushed each other's hair and had tea parties while the small inhabitants of a doll house sat down to breakfast. By the day's end, most of them would be wrapped up and snuggly placed under Christmas trees, where they'd eagerly await being opened the next morning.

It was a glorious time in Hogsmeade. Carolers stood on each corner singing songs for all to hear. Children played on their sleds, and flew, screaming and shrieking down the hills. A few young lovers traveled up and down the streets in sleighs, waving to the people on the streets. Others stood around small fires, drinking eggnog or apple cider, and roasting chestnuts, all the while wishing each other a Happy Christmas.

Neville was enjoying looking at the happy scenes outside from behind the counter as he stamped his feet and rubbed his hands to stay warm. Snape was busy stocking the shelves, and didn't notice any of the goings-on outside. When he turned around, Neville smiled at him and pointed to the window. "Looks like it's going to be a good Christmas this year, doesn't it?" he asked timidly. Snape frowned and sniffed. "Just another excuse to be lazy, if you ask me. All this Christmas business is foolish nonsense," he growled. Neville's smile faded as he watched Snape take out his wand and flick it in the direction of the windows, causing the shades to fall down noisily. "No more staring out of windows," Snape sneered. "I don't pay you generously to stand about and gaze out of windows all day." Neville frowned, nodded his head, and quickly picked up a rag to start dusting the shelves and counters. After an hour or so had passed in frosty silence, the door to the shop flew open with a loud bang. Both men turned to see who was there.